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Effects of using English as a medium of instruction
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This essay will discuss a challenge that teachers face when teaching English as an Additional Language. The challenge that I will be looking into which is presented mainly in classrooms is ‘communication/language barriers’. This challenge is identified as one of the major issues in an EAL class and due to this it can affect the teaching & learning practice between a teacher and pupil. EAL (English as an Additional Language) is referred to pupils who live in two or more languages and who use these languages at home and at school. It does not mean that they have fluency in both languages or are competent and literate in both (Dumfries & Galloway Council, No date). There are more than a million children between the ages of 5-18 in UK schools …show more content…
BTAs use the first language of the pupil to develop and support their learning. They also draw on their personal knowledge of the pupil’s cultural background to activate their prior knowledge in relation to the subject that is being taught. All bilingual teaching assistants and specialist EAL teachers play their part in supporting inclusion by facilitating participation and learning responding to the diverse needs of the pupils, setting suitable learning challenges and overcoming barriers in learning. The BTAs knowledge of the contribution pupil’s first language makes to academic success in EAL learner’s means that they will not only interpret key words and instructions but also use their first language to explore concepts in much depth and develop high order learning skills that pupils can transfer to EAL (NALDIC, …show more content…
Pupils have the opportunity to learn the language in a natural communicative setting through authentic and meaningful language. Providing daily peer interaction in the classroom allows for the academic and language success of the pupils. The interaction gives pupils the chance to develop an understanding of each other’s culture. There are programs that group students in separate classrooms by language dominance such as native speakers being grouped for their daily program and English language learners are assigned to other classrooms. However, native speakers and English learners need the chance to participate together in content learning through teaching situations where student groups are integrated for instruction. According to Cummins (1981), children best learn the English language when they are actively involved in the communication process with another person (Hernandez,
...r they had all received the same language instruction for three years (kindergarten, first and second grade). These finding conclude that English language proficiency at the time of entering school does not matter. A good early literacy program works for both L1 students and ESL students who enter school at the kindergarten age. Students at that age are very susceptible to learning new languages quickly. The ESL children had difficulties in kindergarten, but by second grade they had caught up and were right on track with the L1 students and some of them even surpassed the L1 students.
There are a lot of students being placed whose primary language is not English. Students walk into a mainstream classroom not being able to speak English. Students in this situation are call English Language Learners(ELLs). These students are not receiving appropriate language support to succeed in their language development which is causing them to not have the ability to acquire language.
The migrant population, from different backgrounds, is increasing the numbers of children learning English in the United States. The children whose first language (L1) is other than English inability to communicate is the main issue they are facing during ...
When visiting just about any school across America, students who attend come from all over the globe. This raises the question across America about bilingual education. This can create many challenges in and out of the classroom. The classroom should be a safe place for all students regardless of what native language they speak. In the essay Lost in translation written by Eva Hoffman, describes a foreign student who tries hard to fit in. Instead, Eva begins to feel angry, hurt and confused because people laugh at her. In Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education by Elizabeth R. Howard, Julie Sugarman, Donna Christian Center for Applied Linguistics Kathryn J. Lindholm-Leary San José State University David Rogers Dual Language Education of New Mexico. Guiding principles gives great ideas to educators to stop kids from making other students feel the way that Eva felt. After reading several articles about bilingual education, it is evident that all children in school should learn English but never lose their native language. When all the students speak one language, students will be less likely to make fun of each other. A good educator should learn enough foreign languages to aid them in effective communication in their classroom although; if an educator does not speak a foreign language, they should recruit within the classroom students to be peer mentors. However, a teacher should be willing to listen and encourage the students. Above all a good educator should be a good role model to their students by respecting their heritage and their language.
The cultural and linguistic student is a resource of knowledge and information many educators do not utilize. Understanding the student’s culture, beliefs, and experiences is important when structuring lessons, which assist in the success of the language learner. The classroom teacher accomplishes this through reflective action as teaching methods and strategies are revisited and evaluated to match the ELL student’s capabilities. The ELL student is not only intelligent, but he or she has many interesting things to teach us explained Berg (2014). Dr. Strickland asserted a child’s diverse language does not relate to competence (Laureate Education, Inc. 2014s). As diversity is the new norm, the educational setting must be prepared to be as well.
Personally, I feel like knowing multiple languages gives you a step up in today’s society where so many people speak languages other than English, but I cannot blame the children who only know one for only knowing one, can I? How do you compare students (and people) who know only one language to those who know more than one language? It is a difficult, and nearly impossible task I think to successfully compare the two groups without bringing some level of
Of the several challenges that ELL students may face at school, one of the most important to remember is that these students not only have the pressure of learning at the same pace of their peers that have most likely spoken English their whole lives, but they have to do so while attempting to understand the English language. Graves' makes a paramount point on page 411 of his text where he states "it is not that English language learners come to school with a language deficit. They come with a lack of knowledge of the particular language that is used in the schools they will be attending-English."1 Therefore, it is easy to assume that even the most ready-to-learn student will have huge amounts of trouble trying to learn everything in a language that is foreign to them.
Knowledge, power, and identity in teaching English as a second language: Educating second language children. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Leighton, M. S., Hightower, A. M., & Wrigley, P. (1995). Funds of knowledge for teaching [Electronic version]. Model strategies in bilingual education: Professional development.
English Language Learners range from Newcomers learning survival English and developing foundational literacy skills to Long-Term English Learners who have had 6 years or more of their education in English yet continue have significant language gaps. These students may speak English with little or no accent and still lack the vocabulary, grammar and grade level literacy to be successful in school. English language learners may remain silent in the classroom as they adjust to a new school, environment, and culture unless he is a native language comrade to interact with. The English language learners are concerned about decoding verbal and non- verbal communication as well as understanding the social culture framework of the school. Most of the time English language learners are observing during instruction, trying to repeat words used by others, memorizing simple phrases and sentences, tired by midday or be frustrated attending long lectures unaccompanied by visual and gestures, relying on first language translation used peer translation or bilingual dictionary, as the students begin to learner they become more involved in the classroom, they can respond non-verbally to commands, statements, and questions in simple form. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to use simple word and phrases and may use English spontaneously. They can understand short conversation on a simple topic when reading students can understand a narrative text and authentic materials, although they will be below
As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.
In the United States every student have access to education, no matter their language, race, ethnic, etc. Unfortunately not all the children can enjoy this opportunity because they do not speak the common language, in this case English. Many school offer bilingual education programs but there still school across the nation that have not offer bilingual education. The main goal of all this programs is the student became biliterate in their native language and the second language acquired. The most effective way to develop literacy is in child’s native language. Literacy Knowledge in the first language form a strong solid foundation will able to transfer many skills to the second language.
...thousands of years. Generally, bilingual education can mean any use of two languages in school, by teachers, students, or both – for a variety of social and pedagogical purposes. It also refers to the different approaches in the classroom that use the native languages of English language learners (ELLs) for instruction. These approaches include teaching English, fostering academic achievement, acculturating immigrants to a new society, and preserving a minority group’s linguistic and cultural heritage. Building on, rather than just discarding the students’ native-language skills, create a stronger foundation for success in English and academics. Also, if students learn languages at a younger age, it will be easier to remember and learn them, rather than if they were older. It helps to learn another language for students, and can later be useful in the future.
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
Children’s acquisition of language has long been considered one of the uniquely defining characteristics of human behaviour.
In most institutions of learning today, the classes are made up of students from different ethnic backgrounds. These have different traditions and also speak different languages. In a typical classroom, the majority of the students will speak the same language. The teacher must then employ strategies which will accommodate all the students in the class. This will ensure that every learner gets the best quality of education. This will enable them to be better prepared for career and expressing themselves. In this paper, strategies to assist learners of the English language in their literal development for third grade learners. In the paper, three strategies that can be used by the teacher will be discussed. New strategies and research that will help the English language learners to gain in depth mastery of the language will also be discussed. Due to the widespread learning of the English language in most schools, addressing issues of the language learners is of vital importance. Teachers should have the understanding that cultures are what give someone identity and therefore no student should leave their culture for another. Instead, there should be the blending of different cultures so that students can appreciate and learn from each other.